Software architecture for efficient blockchain transactions

Abstract

The present disclosure provides techniques for efficient blockchain transaction processing. In one embodiment, a computer system broadcasts a first transaction to a blockchain network for addition to a block in a blockchain. The computer system may broadcast a second transaction to the blockchain network for addition to the block in the blockchain, where the second transaction descends from the first transaction and includes a placeholder fee. The computer system monitors and determines that the first transaction has not been confirmed to the block in the blockchain for a duration of time (e.g., stuck in the mempool). In response to determining that the first transaction is stuck, the computer system may transmit a request to replace the placeholder fee with a transaction fee that is sufficiently high to cause the first transaction and the second transaction to be confirmed to a block in the blockchain, thereby unsticking the first transaction.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer system comprising:
 a non-transitory memory storing instructions; and 
 one or more hardware processors configured to execute the instructions and cause the computer system to perform operations comprising:
 broadcasting a first transaction to a blockchain network for addition to a block in a blockchain, wherein the first transaction comprises a first input sourced from a sender address, a first output to a recipient address, and a first transaction fee; 
 broadcasting a second transaction to the blockchain network for addition to the block in the blockchain, wherein the second transaction is a placeholder transaction of the first transaction and comprises the first output sourced from the recipient address as a second input to the second transaction, a second output to the recipient address, and a second transaction fee, wherein the second transaction is broadcasted such that the second transaction does not have descendant transactions, which allows the second transaction fee to be replaced by a greater transaction fee; 
 monitoring a status of the first transaction with respect to a mempool of the blockchain; 
 determining, based on the monitoring indicating that the first transaction has not been confirmed to the block in the blockchain for a duration of time, that the first transaction is at least temporarily stuck in the mempool; and 
 in response to determining that the first transaction is at least temporarily stuck in the mempool, automatically transmitting a request to the blockchain to replace the second transaction with a new transaction having a same structure as the second transaction but with a third transaction fee greater than the second transaction fee, thereby causing the first transaction and the new transaction to be confirmed to the block in the blockchain. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 probing other transactions queued for processing in the mempool for the blockchain network; and 
 determining the third transaction fee based on fees associated with the other transactions. 
 
     
     
       3. The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the third transaction fee is calculated at least in part based on a length in bytes of the first transaction or a length in bytes of the second transaction. 
     
     
       4. The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise determining a mempool size for the mempool of the blockchain network, wherein the replacing the second transaction is based on the mempool size exceeding a predefined threshold. 
     
     
       5. The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise determining a current frequency of blocks mined for the blockchain, wherein the replacing the second transaction is based on the current frequency failing to meet a predefined threshold. 
     
     
       6. The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the second transaction is broadcasted to the blockchain network within a specified time period after the broadcasting of the first transaction. 
     
     
       7. The computer system of  claim 6 , wherein the third transaction fee includes a higher fee rate and a higher absolute fee than a fee rate and an absolute fee of the second transaction fee. 
     
     
       8. A method comprising:
 broadcasting, by a computer system, a first transaction to a blockchain network for addition to a block in a blockchain, wherein the first transaction comprises a first input sourced from a sender address, a first output to a recipient address, and a first transaction fee; 
 broadcasting, by the computer system, a second transaction to the blockchain network for addition to the block in the blockchain, wherein the second transaction comprises the first output sourced from the recipient address as a second input to the second transaction, a second output to the recipient address, and a second transaction fee, and wherein the second transaction is prevented from having descendant transactions; 
 determining, by the computer system, that the first transaction is unconfirmed and pending in a mempool for the blockchain network for a period of time exceeding a specified threshold; 
 determining, by the computer system and based on the determining that the first transaction is unconfirmed and pending in the mempool for the period of time exceeding the specified threshold, that the first transaction has become stuck in the mempool; and 
 replacing, by the computer system, the second transaction with a third transaction having an identical structure as the second transaction but with a third transaction fee greater than the second transaction fee, thereby causing the first transaction and the third transaction to be confirmed to the block in the blockchain. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 probing other transactions queued for processing in the mempool; and 
 determining the third transaction fee based on fees associated with the other transactions. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the third transaction fee is calculated at least in part based on a length in bytes of the first transaction or a length in bytes of the second transaction. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising determining a mempool transaction count for the mempool of the blockchain network, wherein the replacing the second transaction is based on the mempool transaction count exceeding a predefined threshold. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising determining a current frequency of blocks mined for the blockchain, wherein the replacing the second transaction is based on the current frequency failing to meet a predefined threshold. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the second transaction is broadcasted to the blockchain network within a specified time window after the broadcasting of the first transaction. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the third transaction fee includes a higher fee rate and a higher absolute fee than a fee rate and an absolute fee of the second transaction fee. 
     
     
       15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions are executable to cause a machine of a system to perform operations comprising:
 broadcasting a first transaction to a blockchain network for addition to a block in a blockchain, wherein the first transaction comprises a first input sourced from a sender address, a first output to a recipient address, and a first transaction fee; 
 broadcasting a second transaction, as a placeholder transaction, to the blockchain network for addition to the block in the blockchain, wherein the second transaction comprises the first output sourced from the recipient address as a second input for the second transaction, a second output to the recipient address, and a second transaction fee, and wherein the second transaction does not have a descendant transaction; 
 determining, based on a pending status of the first transaction in a mempool for the blockchain network for a time period exceeding a specified threshold, that the first transaction is at least temporarily stuck in the mempool; and 
 based on the determining that the first transaction is at least temporarily stuck in the mempool, replacing the second transaction with a third transaction having an identical structure as the second transaction but has a third transaction fee greater than the second transaction fee, thereby facilitating a confirmation of the first transaction and the third transaction in the blockchain. 
 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 probing other transactions queued for processing in the mempool for the blockchain network; and 
 determining the third transaction fee based on fees associated with the other transactions. 
 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the third transaction fee is calculated at least in part based on a length in bytes of the first transaction or a length in bytes of the second transaction. 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise determining a mempool size for the mempool of the blockchain network, wherein the replacing the second transaction is based on the mempool size exceeding a predefined threshold. 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise determining a current frequency of blocks mined for the blockchain, wherein the replacing the second transaction is based on the current frequency failing to meet predefined threshold. 
     
     
       20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the third transaction fee includes a higher fee rate and a higher absolute fee than a fee rate and an absolute fee of the second transaction fee.